My printer has worked excellently for 6 years. I replaced both b/w and colour cartridges before Christmas and both worked well until last weekend when the printer simply informed me the incorrect colour cartridge had been inserted. Now nothing will print. I have taken out both cartridges and re-inserted them. I know the easy anwer will be to suggest I buy new cartridges, but I do not use the computer/printer frequently and in the past cartridges have certainly lasted longer than 6 weeks.Any ideas? the printer is an Office Jet K80
Peter Frawley, Australia

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Inkjet ink is glycerine and alcohol Inkjet printers need to be used. You cannot leave an inkjet on a shelf and print only once a year. Use the thing occasionally. Use the same page, both sides, just to run it once in a while. Once a month will usually do.Inkjet machines that have replaceable individual ink DO NOT LET THE INK RUN OUT. Have a standby ink for all colours or go and get ink as soon as it runs out. Today will be good. Next week may be too late. Do not remove the ink cartridge until you have a spare to install NOW.Inkjet with all colours in one cartidge, black with a metal bottom, black and colour with a metal bottom on each. It does not matter if these run out of ink. The whole cartridge must be replaced. If you refill your ink at a store, place the cartridge in a ziplock bag and seal it. Take the cartridge in the same day for best results. If you refill your own cartridges, do it right away for best results. Press the refilled cartidge head on a clean paper half a dozen times to see if you get nice clear bands.Replaceable print heads separate from the ink You don't want to buy one. $$$. A clogged one can be sometimes restored by soaking in PURE alcohol (99%). Swish it around a bit up and down to help clean the head pores. Dry it off and try in the machine.

Hi thereYou can try this but it lots to do but may help
This message may be resolved by resetting the unit. Please follow thesesteps:

1. With the printer powered on, open the cover. The ink will move tothe left hand side.

2. Push down on the end of the black cartridge. A clicking noise willbe heard.

3. Slide the cartridge out of the holder towards you.

4. Push down on the end of the colour cartridge. A clicking noise willbe heard.

5. Slide the cartridge out of the holder towards you.

6. Once both cartridges are removed, unplug the power to the printer(without turning it off).

7. Reconnect the power cord.

8. Turn on the printer.

9. Open the cover. The carriage that holds the ink will move to theleft hand side.

10. Make sure the orange cap is off of the bottom of the blackcartridge.

11. Place the black cartridge in the bottom of the printer.

12. Slide the black cartridge back until is cannot go back any further.

13. Push up on the end of the black cartridge, a clicking noise shouldbe heard.

14. Make sure the orange cap is off of the bottom of the colourcartridge.

15. Place the colour cartridge in the bottom of the printer.

16 Slide the colour cartridge back until is cannot go back any further.

17. Push up on the end of the colour cartridge, a clicking noise shouldbe heard.

Please note that the colour cartridge will stick out further than theblack cartridge.

Close the cover. The printer should make some noise for a few moments,and then return to standby.

If the message persists, to clear the low ink-warning message, press andhold down the button for at five seconds, and then releaseit. This will disable the ink detection until that cartridge has beenreplaced.

Please come back and just gave a vote, it will gave me some satisfaction to know am helping some one so I will keep on helping.
All The Best: Pineworks

after the black cartridge moves to the ink changing position, push the 'ink' button one more time to move the carriage to the position to replace the colour cartridge. in some cases this will only work when the printer indicates that the color cartridge is empty.

It could well be the printer head (the area where the cartridge locks into the printer) has gummed up contacts. Take a soft, lint-free cloth and wipe down gently wipe down the face of the contacts. Keep wiping until all residue is removed. Reinstall a color cartridge and then run the printer's software alignment utility (this is part of the software that comes with the printer).

Your printhead has burned out nozzles, the black is the most used and first to go. It switches nozzles during printing for even wear, that's why every few lines you get bad spots.You need a new printhead.

Understand when I suggest replacing the printer, it isn't that you
can't fix it or that I'm not answering your question. But to do so will
require cleaning every inch of the internal components. The ink will
stain everything it touches and you'll need a smock, a work area, and
probably gloves.

See what happens is that where the print head parks there is an ink absorber and below it is an ink well. The ink absorber is a sponge like arm that cleans off the cartridge and the well catches the loose ink. Inkjet printers are for the most part not designed to last past a few years, so few printers have a method for emptying these. When they become full the printer will start leaking ink in torrents but will continue to function normally for quite a while until it fills every nook and cranny of the printer. While all you notice is a sightly higher consumption of ink.

By the time you start visibly seeing the ink come out of the printer, the inside is a huge mess, and when I say huge I mean without cursing, words just can't express how nasty and ink smeared it is.

If its a Canon printer try this.OK, Canon will hate me for posting this.1. Remove ink cartridges2. Remove print head3. go to sink or tub (stainless steel, not plastic type), pick up a roll of paper towel on the way.4. Fold several layers of paper towel and place on flat surface.5. Run hot water until HOT!6. Turn hot water back to a dribble.7. Run the dribbling hot water through print head, be careful not to wet the gold contacts.8.When water running through print head is clear, place print head on paper towel.9. Repeat number 7 and 8 until no colour shows on paper towel.10. Gently DAB print head (DO NOT WIPE) inside and out with dry paper towel until dry.11. I normally replace print head after drying, but you may wish to let it air dry overnight.12. Replace print head in printer and install cartridges13. Start printing.I do this to all 4 of my Canon printers every 6 months or so.If any colour fails to print after this process it means your print head probably needs replacing.

you can try this to really clean the print head:
Canon will hate me for this.1. Remove ink cartridges.2. Remove print head.3. Go to sink or tub (stainless steel, not plastic type), pick up a roll of paper towel on the way.4. Fold several layers of paper towel and place on flat surface.5. Run hot water until HOT!6. Turn hot water back to a dribble.7. Run the dribbling hot water through print head being careful not to wet the gold contacts.8.When water running through print head is clear, place print head on paper towel.9. Repeat number 7 and 8 until no colour shows on paper towel.10. Gently DAB print head (DO NOT WIPE) inside and out with dry paper towel until dry.11. I normally replace print head after drying, but you may wish to let it air-dry overnight.12. Replace print head in printer and install cartridges13. Start printing.I do this to all 4 of my Canon printers every 6 months or so.If any colour fails to print after this process it means your print head probably needs replacing.